[TriLUG] (no subject)

[Jeremy P]

On Fri, 30 Nov 2001, Kevin Hunter wrote:

> 
> I have this exact same problem at my office!!!  I'm sorry that I have
> no solution for you but I can tell you how it was explained to me.
> The problem is Windows 2000 and DNS.  I have an internal DNS domain
> that is defined only by one DNS server ( one that's internal to my
> LAN ).  However all my DHCP leases give clients several name servers,
> but only the first one knows about my internal domain.  
> 
> What we think is happening is that win2k clients are randomly picking
> which DNS server to ask to resolve internal DNS names.  Of course
> when they hit the 2nd or 3rd name server, it doesn't know.  It's some
> kind of round robin poling or something like that.  We don't know why
> it's happening.  My win9x and NT4 clients don't do this.  When you
> renew the lease, the client starts from the first name server again.

If all three DNS servers aren't returning the same namespace, then you
have a DNS configuration problem.  I suppose you're runing an internal DNS
server for the Intranet that includes names not visible to the
Internet.  If so, this should be the ONLY nameserver listed in the
clients' configuration.  (That DNS server should then use the
"forwarders" option to get out to real Internet nameservers, or be a
caching nameserver.)  If you're concerned about relying on just one
computer for your nameservice, impelement a secondary DNS server for the
internal network, that also is a forwarder or caching for Internet
names.  DO NOT list both "internal" DNS servers and external, Internet
servers, on the same list!

In any OS, the list of nameservers (either from DHCP or statically
configured)  is intended to be a "round robin" list -- ie "if one server
is down, or slow, try another".  It's not a concatenated list -- it
doesn't do "if one server doesn't have the answer, try the other".

Hope this helps,
Jeremy